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The San Francisco Association of REALTORS® (SFAR) is mobilizing Realtors and their clients to push for major changes and paused implementation of the SF Fire Sprinkler Retrofit mandate. SFAR has put together a petition for Realtors and their clients to sign asking the Mayor and Board of Supervisors to form a Technical Advisory Committee of experts to review the feasibility of the mandate, recommend major changes and exemptions, and to stop implementation and enforcement until the committee has released its findings.

On Wednesday, December 17, 2025 SAMCAR members from the Peninsula, Coastside, and Pacifica Government Affairs Committee gathered at the SAMCAR office for a special holiday luncheon to celebrate accomplishments addressing advocacy issues throughout the year. Lee Ginsburg (Intero Real Estate), Frank Vella (Starboard Commercial Real Estate), and Judy Taylor (Compass) were honored as the 2025 SAMCAR Government Affairs Champions for their dedication to advancing private property rights and advocating politically on behalf of Realtors and housing providers in San Mateo County.

On Monday, November 17, 2025, the San Mateo City Council voted to pass two local ordinances dealing with policies extending state law provisions to include relocation assistance for no-fault evictions for tenants with a tenure of less than a year from 12 months to 11 months and adhere to requirements for property owners to notify tenants displaced due to substantial rehabilitation when the new or substantially remodeled unit becomes available. Thank you to all the SAMCAR members who made your voices heard, calling on the council to direct staff to focus instead on building on the successful emergency rental assistance program, align ordinances to what is already found in State law, increase housing supply, tackle restrictive permitting, and educate both renters and housing providers on the numerous resources available in the community.

Voting 4-2 with one council member absent, the Redwood City Council on Monday, October 13, 2025, acted in favor of adding three new provisions to the Anti-Displacement Program. Both SAMCAR and the California Apartment Association (CAA) argued against the ordinance, which now includes up to four months of relocation assistance (dismissing state law's one month requirement), expands the property eligibility assistance from five units to two units or more (going after small mom and pop housing providers), minimum lease terms, and providing tenants with the right to return after a substantial remodel at the federal Fair Market Rate (not at previous rent).

On August 25, 2025, the City Council in Foster City decided not to pursue a ballot measure in November 2026 to become a charter city, impose a residential property transfer tax, and commercial vacancy tax. Realtors, homeowners, and commercial property owners in Foster City faced the possibility that the council, by changing the city charter, would gain greater taxing authority to impose the taxes on future home sales and empty commercial properties. Your voices were heard and thanks to SAMCAR's local advocacy efforts Realtors, homeowners, and commercial property owners in Foster City and can now breathe a sigh of relief that they will not have to pay these added taxes.

The City of San Mateo City Council unanimously passed an emergency rental assistance program at its Monday, July 28 meeting. The call for such a program came from recent community outreach and engagement meetings that the city conducted, study session testimony, and input from SAMCAR and the California Apartment Association (CAA).